The streets of downtown Orlando, Florida were barren at 5:30 pm on a Sunday night. Partly due to the city’s crackdown on a nightlife scene that has gotten a bit out of hand. The new restrictions have the city parking garages closed to incoming traffic on weekends at 11:00 pm. Another contributing factor was it was Father’s Day, June 16. 2024. A line was down the block to enter The Beacham when the doors opened at 6:00 pm. The fans were in line to see two Australian bands, The Grogans, and Ocean Alley. The building had been built in 1884 and was used as an Orange County Jail. The Beacham Theater was opened in 1921 in the building and later the space was turned into a nightclub in 2013 that also hosts concerts.
First up were The Grogans at 6:45 pm. The trio is from Melbourne, Australia, and has released four studio albums since their formation in 2016. The latest release, Find Me A Cloud was released in 2023 and the band played six of the tracks off the new album in their show ending the set with “Lay Back”, “Cannot Read Your Mind’, and “Hey Maam” which were received well by the packed house. The standing-room-only crowd consisting of millennials and Gen Xs had inched forward and they were tight against the barrier in front of the stage. Both stairways up to the VIP section in the balcony on opposite sides of the club were lined shoulder to shoulder. There was no room to dance much less move at all. The Grogans played for forty-five minutes covering thirteen songs with little movement or internal band interaction. The show was audible with little visual stimulation. The show was totally about the music.
Band Members:
Quin Grunden – Lead Vocals/Guitar
Angus Vasic – Guitar
Jordan Lewis – Drums
Setlist:
1.Dead Weight
2. Washed out
3. Overheat
4. I’m Not Sure
5. No Thanks
6. Le Fangz
7. Nowhere To Be
8. Got A Girl
9. Lemon
10. Black
11. Lay Back
12. Cannot Read Your Mind
13. Hey Maam
At a few minutes after 8:00 pm, Ocean Alley came out and the cramped audience erupted welcoming the band to the stage. Ocean Alley is from Northern Beaches in Australia and is known as an alternative psychedelic rock band, with two EPs and four full-length LPs dating back to their formation in 2011. The latest full-length album is Low Altitude Living which was released in 2022 and peaked at number three on the ARIA Chart (Australian Recording Industry Association). The band is very popular here in The United States with over 3.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify worldwide.
The band opened with “Touch Back Down” off Low Altitude Living and it was immediately evident this band was bringing energy to the stage behind lead singer Baden Donegal’s charisma and infectious smile. The six-member band was extremely tight and it was easy to see the chemistry they generated on stage. The set consisted of 17 songs and Australia’s favourite surf rock band played for an hour and fifteen minutes making it an early night for the fans. It has been just under a year since Ocean Alley played The Beacham in Orlando and it is evident their fan base is on the rise of the exuberant celebration of their music by the local fanbase. They even ended their show with the Player cover, “Baby Come Back.” I believe they will the next time Ocean Alley makes a local tour stop.
Band Members:
Baden Donegal – Vocals/Guitar
Angus Goodwin – Lead Guitar
Lach Galbraith – Keyboard/Vocals
Mitch Galbraith – Guitar
Nic Blom – Bass
Tom O’Brien – Drums
Setlist:
1.Touch Back Down
2. Tombstone
3. Knees
4. Home
5. Double Vision
6. The Comedown
7. Drinks and Cigars
8. Simple Pleasures
9. Yellow Mellow
10. Holiday
11. Paradise A Burn
12. West Coast
13. Lemonworld
14. Confidence
15. Happy Sad
16. Partner in Crime
17. Baby Come Back (Player cover)
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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.